Levon Aronian was back to his best form at the 3rd Sinquefeld Cup in Saint Louis, USA, which finished earlier in the month. The Armenian number one had been suffering a personal drought since his victory at Wijk aan Zee in January 2014 and had slipped out of the world top ten rankings. His unbeaten 6/9 to win one of the strongest tournaments in history will restore his top ten status. Second on 5 points in the ten-player field was shared by World Champion Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Anish Giri (Netherlands), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) and Hikaru Nakamura (USA).
Today's game is from the first round at Saint Louis. Aronian is White against Fabiano Caruana, now playing for the USA.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4
The Classical Queen's Gambit Declined is making a comeback, having been deposed as the main line over a hundred years ago by Pillsbury's 5.Bg5. 5... O-O 6.e3 Nbd7 7.c5 Ne4 8.Rc1 Nxc3 9.Rxc3 b6 10.c6 Nf6 11.a3 a5 12.Bd3 Ne4 13.Rc2 f6
After 13... Ba6 14.Bxa6 Rxa6 15.Ne5 Bd6 16.Nd7 Black chose to sacrifice the exchange to get rid of the knight in Giri-Caruana, Wijk aan Zee 2015, and eventually drew after 97 moves. This time he prevents the knight's infiltration. 14.Qe2 Bd6 15.O-O g5!?
Making the game very sharp. Black gains in space and activity, but any mistake and the weakness of his kingside could be fatal. 16.Bxd6 Nxd6 17.Re1 a4 18.Nd2 e5 19.e4 f5!?
The opposition of all the central pawns makes the position incredibly complex, with a game of 'chicken' over who captures first. Naturally Black is unwilling to allow the opening of the b1-h7 diagonal for the White bishop, though here 19... exd4 20.e5 Re8 appears to hold the balance after either 21.Qh5 or 21.Bxh7+!? 20.f3!
Not yet. 20.exd5?! e4 closes the diagonal and leaves White with a useless extra d-pawn, while 20.dxe5 fxe4 21.exd6 exd3 22.Qxd3 Qxd6 removes the dangerous bishop. 20... dxe4 21.fxe4 Ra5?
Trying to activate the rook, but 21... exd4 22.e5 Re8 was the safer course. 22.exf5! Nxf5
Now 22... exd4 23.Nc4 Nxc4 24.Bxc4+ Kh8 25.g4 is advantageous to White. 23.Bc4+ Kg7 24.d5 Re8 25.Ne4!!
Offering a whole rook to gain a crushing attack. The misplacement of the black rook on a5 means White won't notice the deficit for some time. 25...Nd4 26.Qh5 Nxc2 27.Nxg5 Bf5 28.Rf1 Qf6
Black has to return the rook, as 28... Bg6 29.Rf7+! Bxf7 30.Qxh7+ Kf6 31.Ne4+ Ke7 32.d6+ mates. 29.Ne6+ Rxe6 30.Rxf5 Qg6 31.dxe6
Also winning was 31.Rg5 when White will end up with queen and bishop against two rooks, but Aronian sees a path to a winning endgame. 31...Qxh5 32.Rxh5 Nd4 33.e7 Ra8 34.Rxe5 Re8 35.Re4 Nf5
Clearly not 35... Nxc6? 36.Bb5 Rxe7 37.Bxc6, while 35... Nb3 36.Bxb3 axb3 37.Kf2 and when Black captures the e-pawn the rooks come off and the pawn ending with two against one on the kingside is an easy win. 36.Be6! Nd6
Or 36... Nxe7 37.Bd7 winning the knight. 37.Bd7 Nxe4 38.Bxe8 Kf6 39.Bg6!Resigns
Aronian back to best
Problem: White to play and mate in 3.
Levon Aronian was back to his best form at the 3rd Sinquefeld Cup in Saint Louis, USA, which finished earlier in the month. The Armenian number one had been suffering a personal drought since his victory at Wijk aan Zee in January 2014 and had slipped out of the world top ten rankings. His unbeaten 6/9 to win one of the strongest tournaments in history will restore his top ten status. Second on 5 points in the ten-player field was shared by World Champion Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Anish Giri (Netherlands), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) and Hikaru Nakamura (USA).
Today's game is from the first round at Saint Louis. Aronian is White against Fabiano Caruana, now playing for the USA.
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e6
3.Nf3 d5
4.Nc3 Be7
5.Bf4
The Classical Queen's Gambit Declined is making a comeback, having been deposed as the main line over a hundred years ago by Pillsbury's 5.Bg5.
5... O-O
6.e3 Nbd7
7.c5 Ne4
8.Rc1 Nxc3
9.Rxc3 b6
10.c6 Nf6
11.a3 a5
12.Bd3 Ne4
13.Rc2 f6
After 13... Ba6 14.Bxa6 Rxa6 15.Ne5 Bd6 16.Nd7 Black chose to sacrifice the exchange to get rid of the knight in Giri-Caruana, Wijk aan Zee 2015, and eventually drew after 97 moves. This time he prevents the knight's infiltration.
14.Qe2 Bd6
15.O-O g5!?
Making the game very sharp. Black gains in space and activity, but any mistake and the weakness of his kingside could be fatal.
16.Bxd6 Nxd6
17.Re1 a4
18.Nd2 e5
19.e4 f5!?
The opposition of all the central pawns makes the position incredibly complex, with a game of 'chicken' over who captures first. Naturally Black is unwilling to allow the opening of the b1-h7 diagonal for the White bishop, though here 19... exd4 20.e5 Re8 appears to hold the balance after either 21.Qh5 or 21.Bxh7+!?
20.f3!
Not yet. 20.exd5?! e4 closes the diagonal and leaves White with a useless extra d-pawn, while 20.dxe5 fxe4 21.exd6 exd3 22.Qxd3 Qxd6 removes the dangerous bishop.
20... dxe4
21.fxe4 Ra5?
Trying to activate the rook, but 21... exd4 22.e5 Re8 was the safer course.
22.exf5! Nxf5
Now 22... exd4 23.Nc4 Nxc4 24.Bxc4+ Kh8 25.g4 is advantageous to White.
23.Bc4+ Kg7
24.d5 Re8
25.Ne4!!
Offering a whole rook to gain a crushing attack. The misplacement of the black rook on a5 means White won't notice the deficit for some time.
25... Nd4
26.Qh5 Nxc2
27.Nxg5 Bf5
28.Rf1 Qf6
Black has to return the rook, as 28... Bg6 29.Rf7+! Bxf7 30.Qxh7+ Kf6 31.Ne4+ Ke7 32.d6+ mates.
29.Ne6+ Rxe6
30.Rxf5 Qg6
31.dxe6
Also winning was 31.Rg5 when White will end up with queen and bishop against two rooks, but Aronian sees a path to a winning endgame.
31... Qxh5
32.Rxh5 Nd4
33.e7 Ra8
34.Rxe5 Re8
35.Re4 Nf5
Clearly not 35... Nxc6? 36.Bb5 Rxe7 37.Bxc6, while 35... Nb3 36.Bxb3 axb3 37.Kf2 and when Black captures the e-pawn the rooks come off and the pawn ending with two against one on the kingside is an easy win.
36.Be6! Nd6
Or 36... Nxe7 37.Bd7 winning the knight.
37.Bd7 Nxe4
38.Bxe8 Kf6
39.Bg6! Resigns
1-0
Solution: 1.Rxg8+! Rxg8 2.Qf6+ Rg7 3.Rd8#